


Just Ask

by Dresupi



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Restaurant, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Artist Sansa Stark, Denial of Feelings, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Feelings, Feelings Realization, Friends With Benefits, Gratuitous Smut, Hurt feelings, Jealousy, Lack of Communication, Modern Era, Multiple Orgasms, One Shot, Oral Sex, POV Alternating, POV Sansa Stark, POV Theon Greyjoy, Restaurant Owner Theon Greyjoy, Smut, Woman on Top
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:00:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24774292
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dresupi/pseuds/Dresupi
Summary: Sansa is just out to protect herself. And her feelings. Which don't exist. Being friends with benefits is working out just fine. Even though she and Theon were never friends, so it's just benefits.Modern AU
Relationships: Theon Greyjoy/Sansa Stark
Comments: 16
Kudos: 133
Collections: Dresupi's Sweetheart Prompts, Dresupi's Theonsa Fics





	Just Ask

**Author's Note:**

  * For [treaddelicately](https://archiveofourown.org/users/treaddelicately/gifts).



> So this was one of my sweetheart prompts that I took to the actual limit. The prompt was 'Just Ask', so of course I write a fully fleshed AU where Theon owns a steakhouse and Sansa is a graphic artist and they hook up and then go through an entire THING. 
> 
> An AU that no one "just asked" for.
> 
> But it's for treaddelicately so I mean. Tread might have asked for SOMETHING. Just not this, lol.
> 
> Big super special thanks to thestanceyg for looking this over for me, despite not going here and not knowing these characters. Stancey, you are a treasure and I love you.

**THEON**

* * *

Sansa’s back arched off the mattress, her thighs clenching around Theon’s head as he gripped just under her knees and tried to hold her still. His tongue fluttered over her clit and she moaned something that could have been his name, but his hearing was sort of impaired by the aforementioned appendages pressing over his ears.

She released him seconds later, but only after it felt she was trying to wrench his head from his shoulders with her legs, falling back in a pile of limbs on the bed, her hair simultaneously sticking to her forehead and splaying across his pillows.

Theon licked his lips and turned to kiss her inner thigh, wondering if she’d pull him back yet again or if it was finally too much. He hadn’t been counting, but if he had to guess, he’d put her at five orgasms. Three of which happened with his head between her thighs.

Not bad for someone who was overworked, overstressed, and trying to open a secondary location of his restaurant.

He pressed soft kisses against her silky skin and jolted when she reached down to tangle her fingers in his hair.

He could definitely go again if she wanted, and he was about to turn his attentions back to her sex when she yanked him again, so he looked up at her.

“I need to get up,” she said, her tone clipped as he pushed up on his hands to let her pull her legs up and roll over.

He frowned slightly but figured she might need the toilet or something. She hadn’t come over for this. She’d come over to drop off the new menus she’d made for them. He’d looked them over, and maybe they were both feeling flirty because it felt like one minute they were chatting and the next, she was in his lap.

On the contrary to needing the toilet, she seemed to be searching through the discarded clothing on his floor to find hers. She picked through and draped hers over her arm, walking heavily to the door before pausing and turning back for just a second.

“This can’t happen again,” she said sharply. “This cannot _happen_. Ever again.”

He wasn’t expecting _that_.

Whatever he was expecting from her, either a promise from him that they could carry on in secret or the seeking of reassurance that this was something he wanted, he wasn’t expecting her to say _that._

He’d have agreed to a secret relationship. Even a friends-with-benefits sort of thing would have sufficed. Hell, he’d have even put on a tie and come to the Stark Family dinner as her boyfriend if she’d asked.

 _That_ fucking hurt. Her words felt like an icy cold knife in his heart, but Theon wasn’t anything if he wasn’t quick on his feet. There was no way he was getting caught with feelings if Sansa had none. So when he sniffed, it was with derision. “That goes without saying.”

“I’m saying it anyway,” she returned pointedly. “I don’t want a relationship with you.”

That stung worse than the first rejection. It was true that he wasn’t the kind of man who had relationships. But he would have with her. Sansa was the exception. He’d have tried his damnedest for her.

He snorted and shook his head. “What part of anything I’ve ever done makes you think I want one? You’re not even my only bird, Sansa.” She arched an eyebrow in reply and he couldn’t tell if his words wounded her not, but he hoped they did a little. “I’m just saying. Don’t get attached, love. There’s nothing here for you.”

“Precisely. I um… I hope you liked the menus. Do tell Robb to ring me if there’s anything that needs changing.”

And then she’d gone. She’d slipped into his bathroom and dressed. Freshened up and left without so much as another word.

Theon sniffed as the door closed on her way out.

She didn’t even say thank you. After five fucking orgasms, more than half of which had happened with his head crushed between her thighs, she could have at least thanked him.

Never mind his hurt feelings, that was just rude. Most of the other girls had at least thanked him for his time.

His eyes stung a little, but he pushed the feeling away, blinking hard and reaching for his pants. He didn’t need her rude arse mucking up his life any more than she already had. Fuck her.

Well, he supposed he had.

The thought gave him little pleasure.

* * *

**SANSA**

* * *

She pulled the door closed and had to keep herself from leaning against the concrete wall across from Theon’s front door. If she collapsed there on the floor, he’d be sure to find her later on and it would totally ruin her facade.

His words still echoed in her head, reverberating around, ping-ponging off the insides of her skull and giving her a headache the more she thought about them.

_“You’re not even my only bird, Sansa.”_

First of all, she’d ignore the fact that he’d called her ‘his’. Those kinds of thoughts only served to come back and bite her in the arse later. Next, she’d definitely not focus on the glaringly obvious and think about what other women he was with.

_Did he fuck them all like he’d just fucked her? Because if so, how could he even walk?_

Five times. She came five times in his bed and it was almost embarrassing how she’d kept pulling him back for more. Especially as her brain told her to stop. That this was dangerous because she’d get attached and then he’d hurt her.

Theon wasn’t the settling down type, so what the fuck was she doing here?

Not that she was judging, but Theon had dated a lot of women. Dated was just a nice word for ‘fucked’. Because as far as she knew, he fucked a lot of women.

He’d even been with her friend Jeyne Poole. And she’d been the one to pick up those pieces after he was finished with her. No way was she turning into a sobbing mess for Theon Fucking Greyjoy.

She made her way down to her car and turned the key in the ignition. She drove out of the car park in front of his building and down to the gas station down the road. She didn’t need to fill up, but she just needed a second to think.

_Theon._

Her brother’s best friend turned business partner. Seven hells, they were still best friends even after starting a restaurant together. To say Robb and Theon were close was an understatement.

Never mind that Theon was also her high school crush who she’d thought about during all those fumbling encounters in the back of Joffrey’s car. Gods, Theon wasn’t just responsible for the five orgasms she’d had that day. He was also responsible for pretty much every single one she’d had ever. Because if the bloke she was with didn’t measure up, she thought about Theon.

And gods, she’d be lying if she said any of her blokes had _ever_ measured up. She’d given it the old college try more times than not, but when their awkward touches got to be too much, she let her mind wander. Thought about _Theon’s_ fingers inside her. His mouth on her--

The real thing had blown her fantasy version right out of the water. Safe to say she was ruined now.

When she’d been a silly teenager, she’d entertained other fantasies as well. Fantasies where he asked her to prom. Or out on dates to the cinema. Or other, more domestic fantasies where they lived together. Where he made breakfast on Sundays.

She had been a silly teenaged girl with an infatuation, that was all it had been.

And today? She’d known damn well that Theon would make some awkward excuse when they’d finished. Maybe that was why she’d kept pulling him back for more. She hadn’t wanted it to end.

Fuck, she was trying so hard not to fall; she couldn’t see that she was already there.

Sansa covered her face with her hands and breathed in and out. In and out.

She’d said they wouldn’t do this again. He’d agreed. It wasn’t ever happening again.

Not ever.

And she’d said it first. So technically, he hadn’t hurt her. Right?

Right.

She sighed and dropped her hands back to the steering wheel. Then to the gearshift. Then she pulled her car into drive again, back out onto the highway and back in the opposite direction to home.

* * *

**THEON**

* * *

Theon wasn’t exactly expecting to see her again so soon. Let alone at his workplace.

As far as he knew, Sansa had finished the menus and Robb had loved them. Seven hells, _he’d_ loved them. Plus, she was a vegan and had no other reason to come to a steakhouse. Even if her brother did own it.

Well, Robb co-owned it. With him.

“Hey, Theon…” One of the food runners called him from the front of the kitchen. He was a new hire, training for the opening of the second location, and while Theon tried to learn everyone’s names, Robb was really better at this sort of thing.

Theon was good at cooking. Robb could barely work his microwave. Theon was the brains behind the menu and everything on that end. But gods, he’d be shit at owning a business if it weren’t for Robb.

“What?” he asked. He was already running ragged cooking for two shifts because their grill cooks had both called out today, and the new hires couldn’t be left on their own for their first day. Robb was supposed to be calling around to find someone to relieve him, but apparently something had happened because he’d been back here for nearly six hours. It was time for his break.

“You got a visitor, whenever you’ve got time. No rush.”

Theon frowned. “Who is it?”

“Sansa. Robb’s sister. She’s in the office.”

“She wants to see _me_? Not Robb?” he asked, still wondering if there had been some kind of mix up or something.

“She said she wanted you. Want me to tell her you’re busy?” The bloke sat there, waiting for him to reply, and Theon’s gaze dropped down to where his nametag was pinned on wrong.

“Casan,” he stated as if that were an important part of the sentence or something. No, really, Theon was just happy he had a name to go with the quizzical face. “Nah, don’t do that. I’ll go see her for a few minutes.”

“You’ve got it.” Casan disappeared back into the front end.

Theon took one look down at the front of his shirt and sighed. He was covered in marinade and what he could only assume was the Dijon cream sauce that went on the salmon. He might have been helping plate entrees when he wasn’t slinging steaks on the grill.

Whatever. He had no reason to think this was anything. Except for that nagging thought about how Sansa was vegan. And the only real tie she had to this place was Robb. And she’d asked specifically for Theon.

He wasn’t going to get his hopes up. She was probably coming to make sure he hadn’t told anyone about them. Or to double-check on the menus.

Theon reached up to tug off his head covering before opening the office door. Probably a mistake, given that he had been standing over a hot grill sweating for the entire day. He looked like a greasy fry cook and smelled like...

Well, he smelled like hickory smoke. So ham.

Lovely.

Sansa was seated in the chair when he entered, perched on the edge of it while she scrolled through her phone. She was wearing a white gauzy dress that was just begging for his greasy hands to mark it up.

So he folded his arms and waited.

“You free tonight?” she asked without looking up.

“Hullo to you too.”

“Hi. Yeah, sorry, you seemed busy. Thought I’d get straight to the point.”

“Sort of. What’s up, Sans?”

She finally glanced up from her phone. “Whoa. You look--”

“I know, but you’re the one who came up here so…”

“What time do you get off tonight?” she asked.

He shook his head and shrugged. “I dunno. Whenever my grill cook decides to show up.” Her eyebrows raised slightly, her eyes scanning up and down his body and making him feel like he was on display or something. “Why do you ask?”

She shrugged. “I dunno. Thought we could hang out.”

“We don’t hang out.”

She shot him a look. “Fine. Thought you could come over and I’ll fuck you, how does that sound?”

He exhaled sharply and automatically reached for the back of his neck. “What happened to ‘this can’t happen’?”

“You said it yourself. We don’t hang out. This would have no repercussions on our social lives. And…”

“And?” he repeated.

“And you’re good,” she replied, lowering her voice. “You’re very good.”

He smirked, puffing out his chest a little. “How good is very good?”

“I’m asking,” she replied. “I’m here.”

His smirk stretched into a grin. “I’ve been on the line all day. I smell like steak.”

“So we’ll fool around in the shower first,” she said with a subtle tilt of her head. “And if you’re tired, I’ve got no problem with being on top afterward.”

“Okay…” he said, chewing on his lip for a moment. “Okay, so what is this?”

“What do you mean, what is this?” she asked.

“What is this? A relationship?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Gods, no. It’s more of a friends-with-benefits kind of thing.”

“Yeah, but we’re not friends.”

“So it’s just benefits. Are you saying no?” she asked, her eyes widening a little and making him want to wrap his arms around her and kiss that look off her face. But he didn’t. Because of that aforementioned gauzy white dress.

“You’re asking to be fuck buddies?”

“Yeah... I know you probably already have one. Or more. But… if you have the time…”

“I’ve got the time,” he said quickly. He didn’t correct her assumption even though it really warranted one. He’d lied the other night. He was withholding the truth now. No way was he going to be the only one caught with feelings.

“Okay so… just text me before you come over. I’ll be at home.”

“Anytime too late?” he asked. “Because if my guy never shows up…”

“Text before you come over. Don’t worry about the time,” she replied. She gave him one final look before standing. Even though he felt gross, he couldn’t help but preen a little under her gaze. He knew that look. He saw lots of patrons of the restaurant make that look when the servers brought out their steaks. She wanted to eat him up.

And fuck, he wanted to let her.

“Okay, I’ll see you later?” he said.

“I already said you would. You don’t have to be pleasant on my account,” she replied, swinging the door closed behind her as she left.

He ran his fingers through his hair before taking a seat in the chair she’d just vacated. He still was kind of dazed about the whole thing.

She wanted to be fuck buddies. Sansa Stark wanted him to fuck her. On the regular. No strings attached.

If she were anyone else, this would have been welcome news. But she was Sansa. And Theon wanted more. But if this was what she was offering, he’d take it. He’d settle for making her cum her brains out. That was the most fun part of a relationship anyway, right?

* * *

**SANSA**

* * *

It was close to one in the morning when her phone finally buzzed. Her eyelids were drooping as she fought to stay awake, but she couldn’t really shake that niggling sensation in the back of her mind that maybe Theon had either forgotten or changed his mind.

But it was Theon, right? Theon liked sex. He was all about the fucking. And he’d had a good time the last time they’d been together.

So Sansa had tried to keep positive as her eyes got heavier and heavier.

When her phone buzzed and jolted her from the weird middle ground between awake and asleep, her heart leaped when she saw who it was from.

_T: You still awake?_

_S: Yes. You still coming?_

_T: Not yet, but I will be ;)_

Rolling her eyes, she dropped the phone on the bed beside her before rising to go freshen up in the bathroom. She’d already washed all her makeup off, but she had been dozing on the sofa, so she probably should at least splash some water on her face.

She checked her reflection in the mirror. She had on a tiny pair of sleep shorts and a tank top with no bra underneath. She supposed she looked sexy enough, but not like she was trying. So perfect.

Sansa smirked and her phone buzzed again.

_T: I’m downstairs._

_S: I’ll buzz you in._

She scurried to the front door to hit the button to buzz him into her flat. Then, she waited by the door until he knocked softly.

Taking a deep breath and mentally counting to four, she unlocked and opened the door a crack to make sure it was him.

It was, but who else would be knocking on her door at one in the morning?

She had to admit, he looked exhausted. His hair was all greasy and he smelled like… well, a steakhouse. She almost gave him an out, but he beamed at her. “You gonna let me in, or…” She opened the door and stepped aside. He brushed past her and the scent of hickory smoke wafted through the air.

A shower was definitely in order, but she really wanted to kiss him.

Like, really wanted to.

For some reason, this sweaty grill cook look got her all riled up. It was probably gross, but Sansa wasn’t really caring about that at the moment.

She reached down for his hand and tugged him close, her other arm wrapping around his neck as she pressed her lips to his.

His skin felt sticky, but his mouth tasted like mint. Likely because he was chewing gum. His breath caught in his throat and he wrapped both arms around her, reaching behind her back and sliding her deadbolt into place.

“Shower first?” he breathed. Sansa nodded, not releasing his hand as she led him down the hallway to her bathroom.

This flat even had a really nice bathtub that was big enough for two, but she didn’t bother with the tub, turning on the shower instead. She started the water and Theon reached behind his neck to tug off his shirt.

“How long was your shift?” she asked, shifting from one foot to the other.

“I don’t even know,” he said with a laugh. “I’m off tomorrow, though.”

She wasn’t sure if that was a hint or what, so she let it go. “If you’re tired…”

“You having second thoughts about being on top?” His tone was teasing, but his eyes were dark and deep, holding her gaze.

“No,” she breathed. “Just thought if you were too tired to--”

“I’m not,” he assured her, reaching for his undershirt and tugging that off as well. His lean muscles rippled as he stretched his arms in the air, scratching the back of his head and moving so languidly that he _had_ to know she couldn’t stop watching.

He was gorgeous. Not that she’d ever admit that to him, but he was all long, lean muscle, his arms especially. Veins stood out on his forearms.

She wanted to lick him.

Gods, she was fairly certain she’d never had that reaction to a man before.

He had sparse chest hair, russet like the stuff on his head, and his jaw, complete with a dark trail of it leading down his belly and disappearing into his jeans.

His belt clinked as he undid it, followed by the jeans as well. He kicked off his shoes and pushed his jeans down and kick them off, reaching down to peel off his socks before straightening up and glancing at her expectedly.

“What?” she asked immediately.

He chuckled. “Uhhh, feel like I should start charging… with the way you’re staring at me and all…”

Sansa’s eyes snapped back up to his, noting the mirth mingling with the arousal, giving his eyes the look of warmth, even though the darkness.

“How much?” she asked, grinning.

“For you, love? I’m not _that_ expensive.”

Her lips spread into a very muted grin, and he stepped forward, his hand trailing up her arm and over her shoulder. His lips brushed against her temple as he stepped past her, pushing his pants down over his hips and climbing naked into the shower. He gave her a cheeky smile and closed the curtain on her open mouth.

“You joining me or not?” he asked.

His voice spurred Sansa into action. She peeled off her pyjamas and knickers, leaving them in a pile with his clothing on her bathroom floor. She stepped into the shower and nearly gasped.

He had his head back, the water sluicing over his head and down his chin, running in rivulets down his back and over his arse. He ran both hands over his head, slicking back his hair before turning to face her.

“Soap?” he asked in very much the same way as if he’d asked her to sit on his face or something.

“Let me,” she whispered, her voice barely carrying over the sound of the shower, but Theon heard her just fine.

She reached for her shampoo, squeezing a little into her hands before rubbing them together. She motioned for him to duck a bit, so he did. She rubbed her hands in his hair, sudsing it up and scratching his scalp with her fingernails.

He leaned back and rinsed the suds off, his hands coming out in front of him to fondle her breasts, thumbs raking over the stiff peaks and making her breath catch as she reached for a washcloth.

She added some of her shower gel to the cloth and rubbed it in her hands until the bubbles foamed. She swept the cloth over his chest and shoulders, watching rapt as the bubbles made their way down his body, collecting for a moment in the wiry hair that trailed down his belly, thicker as it went down. After a few seconds, the water washed it away from there as well.

His cock was as she remembered, stiff and proud as she rubbed the cloth over his chest and shoulders. She slowly moved down, rubbing it against his ribs and belly before switching things up and scrubbing his back.

By the time she got down to his member, he was breathing hard, his head resting against hers as she slowly worked him with the cloth. He inhaled sharply and stilled her hand, pressing his lips lightly to hers and taking the cloth from her.

He used it to properly bathe himself. Rather quickly, if she was being honest, and then it was her turn.

She wasn’t that dirty, having just taken a shower that morning, but his hands felt so sinfully good in her hair, she couldn’t resist letting him return the favor. He turned her around, pressing his cock against the cleft of her arse and she shivered as she felt the hard length of him press against her lower back.

His hands moved around with the cloth, ghosting over her nipples and making her breath come out in harsh pants.

His other hand moved down between her legs, delving into her folds and finding her clit.

She could feel his lips on her neck as his hips began to slightly rock, simulating the act that she so desperately wanted.

“Think you’re clean enough,” he murmured. “Let’s take this out of the shower before the hot water’s gone…”

She nodded, her legs feeling like jelly as she turned off the water and he stepped out of the shower. He grabbed a towel for himself and her, and they dried off.

She hung her towel back up on the rack and sauntered naked from the room.

She could feel him behind her, just a few paces, and she giggled when he grabbed her hand and spun her around to face him.

His lips found hers and she felt his hands move down her sides to cup her ass. She took the hint and wrapped both legs around his waist, groaning when his cock rubbed against her already stimulated clit.

Gently, he leaned her back onto the bed, his lips brushing over hers briefly on their way down her neck.

“Where do you want me?” he murmured.

“Think I promised to be on top…” she replied, giggling a little as he rolled gratefully to the side.

His cock was stiff and flopped against his stomach as she crawled on top of him.

She leaned over, pulling a condom out of her bedside table. She tore it open, rolled it down his length, and immediately shifted her weight so she could rub the head of his cock through her folds.

His breath hissed out between his teeth as she took him inside, capturing her bottom lip between her teeth and pressing her hips slowly against his. His breath huffed out into the silence of the room, and she shifted slightly to get better bearings on her knees.

“Fuck,” he ground out, his eyes falling closed as she started to move. To bounce on top of him. Slowly at first, but as her thighs started to burn, she sped up, opting for shallow, quick movements. His hands were gripping her hips, but mostly he was just laying there, letting her use him like a toy.

Fuck, that was hotter than it should be, so Sansa gave up trying to make him moan and decided to make herself moan instead.

She leaned back, still rocking up and down, but he pressed deeper from this angle, the hard length of him catching in just the right spot to make her toes curl.

“Gods, Sansa,” he hissed, his hands gripping her all the more tightly as she moved. She found a rhythm her thighs could get on board with. Just fast enough to have her panting with every thrust, but slow enough that she wasn’t out of breath or hurting her thighs.

He held her up, and she, in turn, reached two hands up to massage her breasts. The pressure on her tits felt so good. Too good. She moaned loudly as she moved, finding that spot that made her toes curl and rocking against him until she couldn’t take it anymore. “Fuck, fuck, I’m close.”

“Come for me,” he breathed, and she kept moving until she did, her walls clamping down around him. His hips stuttered too, and she didn’t even realize he was coming until she’d already come down, but she kept up the steady rhythm until he sighed.

She grinned when she stopped, leaning over him and curling up against his chest, his cock still twitching in her body.

“That was the fucking hottest thing…” he breathed. “Fucking beautiful, you…”

She smirked. “I have to be honest with you, I was being completely selfish…”

“Good,” he purred. “I like you selfish. Best fucking orgasm of my life watching you be selfish.”

He ran his tongue over his lips and pushed on her hips until his cock slid from her. He coaxed her up so he could peel off the condom and chuck it at her trash bin near her desk.

“Gross,” she laughed.

“I’ll take care of that when I leave. Just get up here.”

“I’m here,” she replied, smirking.

“Bring your cunt up here,” he whispered, his fingers touching his lips as her legs turned to jelly. “I want to taste you.”

It took some shifting, but she soon was straddling his head as he licked along the crease of her thigh. He pulled her down on his face and when his tongue swirled her clit, she gasped. He took his time, fluttering along either side of her clit before swirling it in tight little circles. He groaned against her sex when she started rocking ever so slightly.

He made sounds of encouragement until she was riding his face unabashedly, reaching out and holding onto the headboard for balance.

Easing up, he started sucking softly on her clit, dragging out every sensation until she exploded. “Theon...Theon…” Her hands gripped the headboard hard, toes curled almost painfully, and all she could think to say was his name.

He kissed her twice, once on each thigh before she lifted one leg and rolled over again, sliding down to the mattress on her back with her legs apart. He grinned and wiped his face on the back of his hand before leaning over to kiss her. His lips felt damp and he tasted like her, but she found she didn’t really care.

Not when he brought his hands down to tweak at her nipples. They were still hard, either from the chill in the room or the fact that she’d just been riding his face seconds before.

Her pussy felt tight and crampy as he slowly trailed his fingers down, curling them inside her and beginning to pump them in and out. “Fuck, Theon…”

“Too much?” he asked, nuzzling against her breast with his nose.

“No, I can… one more, maybe…”

“How many did I get last time?” he murmured.

“Five,” she replied, not even thinking to lie.

“I only get three tonight?” he asked.

“You’re tired, and it’s late. Early… Fuck…” His thumb started brushing just beneath her clit, gliding up to wriggle over her every so often, but not too much. Just enough. “Isn’t any kind of competition.”

He grinned. “Just trying to keep you interested,” he replied.

She wanted to tell him he didn’t have to try so hard. She was already interested. Look at how she’d thrown herself at him.

Then her body convulsed, no warning, no build-up, just suddenly, she was gripping his fingers so tightly he was swearing, slowing up as she came down. When he finally slid his fingers from her body, he sucked them into his mouth, laying back on her pillow to stare up at the ceiling. She caught her breath. He let both hands fall on his stomach.

“What is this?” she asked softly, turning to face him on the pillow.

He rolled toward her, mirroring her look before answering. “Whatever you want it to be.”

“I want…” she trailed off, losing her cool. “I just want your cock whenever I say I want it.”

“Done,” he replied, kissing her. “Do you want me to leave now, or stay until morning?”

She should have told him to go, but he was so tired. And she liked the way it felt in his arms.

“Stay,” she whispered, and he leaned over to kiss her before rolling over to hop out of bed. “I need the loo,” he said with a wink. Taking a detour so he could dispose of the condom like he said he would.

Sansa followed suit, rolling to her feet so she could start turning down the bed. He took his sweet time coming back.

Of course, the reason why was clear when he returned, fully clothed, rubbing the back of his head and looking sort of sheepish. “I think I should probably go…” he said softly. “I feel like it’s better if I go.”

“Oh.” She wanted to ask him why, but she knew why. He was trying to keep this neutral. This part, at least. He probably didn’t spend the night with his others either… She swallowed thickly and nodded. “Yeah, okay.”

“Maybe another time?” he lobbed out weakly, but Sansa knew what this was. This was what she’d asked for. Fuck buddies. Whatever.

She wasn’t about to show him how hurt she was, so she smiled and nodded. “Yeah. another time.”

He grinned and lifted his hand to wave and she rolled over into her pillow and tried not to cry until she heard him close the door behind him. This was stupid. She wasn’t going to be the type who caught feelings and cried over Theon Greyjoy. She wasn’t.

She swallowed back her tears and closed her eyes.

* * *

**THEON**

* * *

Gods, it hurt to just leave her there. But this was what she wanted, wasn’t it? He wasn’t about to go getting attached if she was going to leave him eventually.

And he couldn’t really think about it anyway. Not when he was dead tired and still had to drive home. And also, he didn’t want to. There was that.

He stumbled into his flat around ten minutes later. Theon undressed down to his pants and collapsed into bed. Not before setting his phone to silent because he didn’t care if Winter came during the night, he wasn’t about to get up until he’d gotten a solid eight and a half hours.

And he supposed he did get enough sleep. Possibly too much. But the last couple of hours were plagued by dreams of Sansa. Where he was trying to tell her something, but every time he opened his mouth, no sound came out. Didn’t need a bloody therapist to decipher that one.

When he finally woke up for good, the clock read eleven. Or sometime thereafter. He had one text on his phone, sent about twenty minutes before.

From Sansa. Probably telling him to bugger off and never come to hers ever again

_S: “You said you were off today? ;)”_

Okay. So maybe she wasn’t angry.

He could have just left her on read, but the thought flitted out of his head the second it appeared there. Theon would never leave Sansa on read. That was just a fact that he’d have to get used to.

_T: “Why, you good to go again?”_

She didn’t answer his question. But she didn’t _not_ answer either.

_S: “You want lunch or can you feed yourself?”_

_T: “You gonna make lunch?”_

_S: “Yeah, if you want.”_

_T: “I do want.”_

* * *

Lunch was salad. With quinoa and mushrooms and a bunch of other vegetables that he knew how to cook objectively, but had never had a reason to.

She had about six ingredients out other than the cooked quinoa. All of them required slicing or chopping and she started off with the mushrooms, slicing through two big portabellas while he got comfortable on a stool nearby.

“Do you want help with that?” he asked, nodding towards the cutting board.

“Nah, I’ve got it. Didn’t you do enough of this yesterday?” she asked, grinning.

“Not this, no,” he laughed. “Didn’t you smell me? I cooked steaks mostly.”

“What happened with that, anyway?” she asked. “Don’t you and Robb have people who do that?”

“Yeah,” he laughed. “They all called out yesterday. Can’t really fault them. They’re usually there, but they had separate family crises, and everyone else who knew how to do it wasn’t answering their phones. It’s alright though. The new hires got some on the job training, so I was able to take a nap in the office.”

“That’s rough,” she replied, scooping up the mushrooms and plopping them down in the hot skillet on the stove. She moved them around with a spatula and adjusted the heat before turning back to the cutting board.

“Yeah, well. It’s what I love. Just maybe not doing it for twelve hours straight. You sure you don’t want help?”

“I am perfectly capable of cooking. I do it for myself most days,” she countered.

“Well, maybe I’d cook for you if you showed me how.”

Arching her eyebrow, she glanced up at him. “Show you what? It’s cooking. You just said it was what you love to do.”

“It’s vegan though.”

“Yeah? So long as you buy the right ingredients, it’s no different.”

“That is an outright lie,” he said, sniffing and leaning over on his elbow while she started peeling and cubing sweet potatoes.

“I mean if you’re trying to cook like _you_ normally eat. With the steaks and the chicken and the fish, then yeah… it’s a bit different. But if you figure out that you’re not trying to recreate the slab of meat, then it becomes a bit easier.”

He’d ceased watching what she was doing, giving up all pretenses, and just watching _her_. The slight smile on her lips and the way her cheeks rounded out when she grinned.

Fuck, he was already long gone, wasn’t he?

“But uh… if you still want… I could teach you how I do things,” she offered.

“Absolutely, I’m always open to learning,” he replied. “So I’m going to ask again, can I help?”

“It’s driving you insane not doing anything, isn’t it?” she teased.

“It is a bit, yeah.”

“Well, learn to live with disappointment, Theon Greyjoy.” She returned to the stove and removed the mushrooms, placing them on a paper towel-lined plate before she added more oil and then the sweet potatoes, which she seasoned with a couple of different dried spices that she seemingly chose at random.

Fuck yes, he was long gone for her, but the culinary part of his brain was also drooling watching her cook. Why the fuck had he gone into business with Robb again?

Oh right. Because Robb _was_ the business.

And Sansa didn’t eat meat or animal products. It was kind of a big part of the foundation of his skill. Meat.

While the potatoes were cooking, she thinly sliced some purple carrots, sweet peppers, and spring onions. She also chopped some walnuts that she added to another pan on low.

When she assembled the salad, she just dumped everything unceremoniously into a big bowl. Then she pulled some ready-made vinaigrette out of the fridge and tossed everything together before plating some of it on his plate and some on hers, sitting down beside him at the other stool.

It was good, he wasn’t about to deny that. And he wasn’t a huge fan of nuts in his salad.

But he was about two bites in when he realized she was waiting on his consensus.

“It’s good,” he said. “Could use a little more… I dunno. Chicken, maybe.”

“Bastard,” she huffed, shoving him slightly.

He finished his first and then stole sweet potatoes from her plate until she threatened to stab him in the hand.

“There is a whole bloody bowl of it over there,” she laughed.

“Yeah, but it’s more fun to steal yours,” he quipped. Which earned him another smack on his shoulder.

After she finished, he cleared her plate, even washed both of them off in the sink while she tended to the knives and the cutting boards. Boxing up leftovers and cleaning the pans.

It only took about ten minutes between the two of them and after she’d finished drying the last pan, he yanked the towel from her hand and pulled her close for a kiss that made her knees buckle.

Sansa, in turn, wrapped her arms around him and gave as good as she got, which only succeeded in having both of them driven desperate in a manner of minutes.

She was wearing a skirt, so the next part was easy. He turned her around, pressing her hands to the edge of the countertop so she could hold on. He flipped her skirt up over her arse and yanked down her knickers. He pulled out a condom from his pocket and slapped it down on the counter beside her hand.

He was wearing joggers because it was his fucking day off, wasn’t it? He fumbled with the drawstring tie at the waist before he got them down, though.

But when he reached down to feel her, he couldn’t help but groan as his fingers slid easily inside. He wriggled them, feeling her slickness coat them liberally before he pulled them out.

“Gods, Theon, stop teasing,” she whispered, pressing her arse back against him.

“It’s so fun, though,” he argued, even though he was tearing open the condom and rolling it over his cock.

He’d been stiff since they’d started kissing, but he’d since moved into frustrating levels of arousal in the past ten seconds, and he couldn’t wait to press into her. So he didn’t. Rocking forward, he filled her smoothly, gasping for breath as his hips met her body and his hands gripped around her narrow waist.

She tossed her hair and gazed back at him, rolling her hips as much as she could to urge him along.

“Fuck, Sans…” he groaned.

She used the countertop as leverage to meet him thrust for thrust and he had to wrap one hand around her waist to tease her clit so he could get her to cum before he ended up embarrassing himself.

He wouldn’t have stopped just because his dick got soft or anything, but he got the idea that she was in the mood for something a bit more primal than his face between her legs.

Not that he couldn’t make _that_ primal.

When he felt her start to flutter around him, though, he let out the breath he hadn’t even realized he was holding and let go. He fucked into her a few more times before he came so hard his knees almost gave out. He collapsed against her back and Sansa grunted.

“You are heavier than you look, Greyjoy.”

“Sorry,” he mumbled. “Felt fucking phenomenal.” He straightened up and slowly pulled himself out of her, peeling off the condom and knotting it so he could toss it into her trash. He tossed that in and pulled up his pants and joggers.

“Apparently,” she said, pushing up and righting herself. Tugging up her knickers and straightening her skirt.

“Loo?” she asked, gesturing towards the hallway.

“I need a second,” he said, moving over to the stool and easing himself upon it. His knees still felt shaky, so he took a rest.

“I’ll only be a mo’,” she said, walking down the hallway a bit more steadily than he was, but she still wobbled and bumped into the doorframe, so he knew she was just as affected as he was.

He thought about asking her to come over to his that evening. They could order pizza and watch telly until she felt amorous again.

But when she returned, she’d changed clothes. She was wearing a sundress now. Cardigan draped over her shoulders. She’d put on more makeup. Pulled her hair up. And she was wearing shoes. Heels that made her legs look ten miles long.

He was still sitting at her counter and his mouth must have been hanging open because she smirked in his direction.

“I was going to ask you how I looked, but I’ll take that fish face as response enough.”

“Do you, um… do you have plans?” he asked.

“I do, actually. I’m meeting someone for a tour of the glass botanical gardens in about a half-hour…”

He squinted. Blinked.

“But you... invited _me_ over?” he began.

“Yes. Lunch was lovely, Theon. I’m very relaxed now for my date. Thanks, love.” She leaned over to plant a kiss on his cheek. “I’m not rushing you out, stay as long as you’d like, just lock up whenever you leave, okay?”

He found himself nodding along and watching her grab her purse and keys. She checked her makeup one more time in the mirror by the door and then she was off with a wave.

Theon stared at the door long after she left. And he got up to use the loo and wash up. He was still trying to process whatever the fuck had just happened because no matter how many times he ran over it in his brain, he couldn’t figure it out. And he was gathering up his keys and wallet and phone when he realized exactly what had just gone down.

She _was_ angry about earlier that morning. She had just thrown down her glove. She was declaring war. This entire visit was a fucking battle.

And he’d lost.

He’d lost because he was standing here, feeling like shit. Being jealous as fuck that some lucky bloke got to date her and take her places like the glass botanical gardens when she’d given Theon an amazing late morning/early afternoon and then cut him off just like _that_.

Fuck, when he’d left that morning, it had hurt him as well. But he’d done it because it was what she wanted. It was what she _said_ she wanted. Not a relationship. Just his dick whenever and wherever she liked.

This just felt _petty_.

Plus there was no way whoever it was who took her to the gods-forsaken glass botanical gardens was fucking her half as good as he was.

It hurt. Every bit of this hurt, but the feeling that won out was his competitiveness. If he was going to get his hat in the ring, he needed to get better. Get one step ahead.

So he pulled out his phone and called Ros as he walked down to his car.

She answered on the third ring. “Theon?” she asked, clearly yawning. He’d woken her.

“Sorry to wake you. But I need a favour. Are you free tomorrow evening?” he asked. “Do you still have Thursdays off?” He worked the lunch shift tomorrow, but as front end, not in the kitchen. He’d be out by three. Which would give him plenty of time to set this up.

“Hold on, I just woke up. One thing at a time.” Ros yawned again, groaning before she answered. “First off, it’s fine. I needed to wake up anyway. What kind of favour? I am off on Thursdays, yes.”

“Brilliant. I don’t need much. Just need you to come over to mine and then leave at a certain time so this other bird sees you go.”

“Okay…” she said hesitantly. “You wanna tell me why?”

“I’m trying to win something.”

“Win what?”

“Look, can you do it or not? I’ll give you money for petrol.”

“Fine, Theon. But I don’t need petrol money, I’ll do it for you. But you better tell me what’s up at some point.”

“I will,” he promised, ending the call as he drove away from Sansa’s flat.

* * *

Ros arrived the next day about a half-an-hour after he had. She sat down in his armchair and placed her purse on her lap, waiting expectantly for an explanation.

“I’m going to call Sans-- this woman, I’m going to invite her over, and then I’m going to ask you to--”

“Sans? Sansa? The other bird you’re trying to make jealous is Sansa Stark?” Ros chuckled.

“What?” he asked, frowning.

“You’re inviting me over to make Sansa Stark jealous. Theon, I knew when you called yesterday that this one was special, but gods… Sansa?” Ros laughed and shook her head.

“She’s not… I don’t… look, we’re… in the middle of something and she gained the upper hand yesterday. I would very much like to win, because… I’m a Greyjoy and all we do is win.”

She snorted, but he ignored it.

“You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”

“No!” Theon spat, unsure whether to laugh or scream out in frustration.

“Oh come on…” Ros sat back in the chair. “You are. Did she hurt you or something?”

“No… well… I dunno. She started it, but I certainly didn’t leave it.”

“She’s coming over soon? Do I still have time to go before she sees me? I feel like you should talk this out with her. And my being here will only hinder that.”

“Ros, talking is something people in relationships do. This isn’t a relationship.”

“Then what is it?” she asked, crossing her arms.

“It’s… we’re fucking. Whenever she wants. Or I want. But that’s the extent of it.”

“Oh,” she laughed. “My goodness, you’re right. That’s not a relationship.”

“Look, it’s an agreement. And she’s apparently dating someone. I just want to level the playing field.”

Ros gave him a look like he was an idiot, but he’d had enough of this conversation, so he whipped out his phone and rang Sansa instead.

Sansa answered midway through the fourth ring, and Ros didn’t press the issue any further.

“Hey, does this work both ways?” he asked.

Not missing a beat, she replied. “Yeah, if you need it to.”

“I do. Can you come over? If you’re not… busy.”

“Not busy today, when do you want me?”

“In about a half-hour?”

“Absolutely, see you then.”

“Can’t wait,” he said, hearing a click a few seconds later. He pushed his phone back into his pocket and walked over to flop on the sofa and peruse Netflix for a bit.

“I can just leave,” Ros said softly.

“Nah,” he said. “Unless you don’t want to do this? You going soft on me? Don’t want to hurt Sansa?”

Ros sighed. “She’ll be fine, it’s _you_ I’m worried about.”

“So don’t?” he said, settling on IT Crowd and turning up the volume.

Sansa texted when she was near, and he felt a burst of panic at that knowledge. Like he was about to be caught. Which was his aim, so why was he panicking?

He glanced out the window and spotted her coming closer to the building.

“Go now, Ros.”

Ros shot him a look and stood, shouldering her bag and sauntering to the door.

He pushed her out into the breezeway, “Later, Ros!” he called and closed the door behind her.

It was a few minutes before Sansa knocked, but when she did, he didn’t really feel any sort of thrill. He just felt sick.

But he’d be damned if he bailed on this now. So he smiled and reached for the door knob, greeting her on the other side. She had a blank look on her face.

So she was well and pissed off. “Did I get here early?” she asked, frowning a bit.

“Not at all,” he replied.

Squaring her jaw, she nodded. “Right. Well… I guess you should go take a shower, then.”

“A shower…” he trailed off. Did he stink? He’d just taken one before work. Maybe he smelled like the restaurant.

“Since you were with…” she tilted her head vaguely behind her, but he knew what she meant all the same.

“I mean… I wasn’t… _with_ her today. She was just here to um, drop something off. Ros is a friend.”

“Still,” Sansa smirked humourlessly, “I’d feel better if you showered.”

He found himself nodding. “So I’ll just… go attend to that, then?”

She nodded in reply, taking a seat on his sofa, crossing her legs primly, and pulling out her phone.

He’d tell her the truth. Apologize. Grovel. Anything he had to do to make this right because Ros was right. He’d have to go have a plaque made or something to commemorate Ros being right.

Theon bathed quickly, pulling on a towel and heading out into the living room immediately after. Only to find it empty.

“Sansa?” he called, checking the kitchen and heading down the hall to duck into his bedroom. Then he checked out the window and sure enough, her car was gone.

“Fuck,” he swore, running back to the bathroom for his phone. “Fuck.”

* * *

**SANSA**

* * *

Sansa turned her phone off before she’d started driving.

And she didn’t allow herself to think until she was safely back at hers. Once she got there, she went into the bathroom for a shower of her own, not because she felt unclean, but because she could stand in the streaming water and pretend she wasn’t sobbing into her empty bathroom.

When she emerged, she pulled on her bathrobe and checked her reflection in the mirror. It was then that she heard the doorbell ringing.

She closed her eyes for a long moment before turning and sweeping out into the hallway. She peered out the peephole and saw Theon standing there, his hair still dripping, there was a dark ring around the neck of his t-shirt where it was dripping down.

It hurt to look at him. And after crying like she had, she wasn’t even angry anymore. He’d told her what was up. He’d told her to begin with. He deserved to at least hear from her what her future plans were.

She didn’t want to see him. Didn’t want him to see she’d been crying. And he would if he looked at her, so she spoke through the door instead.

“Theon?” she called.

“Sans? Sansa, let me explain--”

“No, it’s fine. I’m not angry,” she said. “I’m not, I promise. I thought I could handle this and I can’t. I don’t think we should do this anymore.”

He was quiet after that. And then his voice sounded closer. More muffled. As if he had his head pressed against the frame of the door. “Sansa, please open the door.”

“Theon, I don’t--”

“Look. I’m not going to tell you to change your mind. Or even that I will change your mind, I just feel I owe you an apology and while I can do it like this, I think you deserve to see me while I do. Alright? I’ll stay out here. I won’t come in. Please, just open the door, love.”

Her heart wrenched, and she swallowed back a lump in her throat. “Fine, just… don’t call me that.”

“I won’t,” he promised.

“Lean back,” she said.

“‘Kay.” His voice sounded a bit further away, so she reached for the deadbolt and the lock, undoing both and pulling the door open.

For what it was worth, he looked like shit. Like he’d been through a ringer and pushed out the door all wrinkled and wet.

But Sansa knew that out of the two of them, she was the one with a red nose and puffy eyes, and therefore, looked the worst. She inhaled, squaring up her shoulders and reaching down to tug at the sash of her bathrobe. His eyes felt like they were piercing her, running her through.

She pressed her lips together as he looked at her.

“Gods, Sansa, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I… promise you… Ros is just a friend. I asked her to come over to make you jealous. And to save face, because you were dating someone. But it doesn’t make it right. You never made me look at the bloke. Gods, I didn’t realize it’d hurt you this much. I’m so sorry.”

“There wasn’t a bloke,” she said, sniffing and wrapping both arms around her waist.

“What?” he asked, squinting like he didn’t understand.

“There wasn’t a bloke,” she repeated, only louder. “I made him up because you said I wasn’t your only bird, and I was hurt that you left. I mean fuck, even if it was just casual, you left so damn quick. It was like whiplash and I didn’t get a chance to even get used to you being there and then you were gone. But...” she trailed off, blinking back tears again. “I’m sorry too. Because I could have just told you what I wanted. And if you weren’t able to provide it, I could have just ended it then. Because that would have been kinder to both of us than what this turned into. I’m sorry that I hurt you. Because I clearly did. I shouldn’t have lied about having a date. It was childish and stupid.”

Theon smiled a little, but it fell soon after. “That wasn’t even what hurt me,” he whispered. “It was when you said you didn’t want a relationship with me. I mean, it made sense, but gods, Sansa. You must have known how I fancied you…” His eyes were bright and shiny when he looked at her. “It gutted me to find out that you didn’t want--”

She closed her eyes, but a few tears slipped out anyway. “I really fucked this up, didn’t I?”

“What?” he asked.

“I only said that because… because I made a snap judgment. I thought the only reason we hooked up to begin with was that you were stressed to the max with the new location opening, and I came over with the new menus for you to look at and it just kind of happened… I said it because I couldn’t stand laying there in your bed while you made excuses and hinted for me to leave.”

“How’d you even know I’d say that, though?” he asked.

“Jeyne told me,” she said.

“Jeyne Poole?” he asked, bewildered. “Sansa, I dated her three years ago. And she clung like a damn squid. You’d have thought she was the Greyjoy, with all that flailing and holding on.” He made a face, shaking his head. “Not literally. Figuratively. She was a black hole, no offense. We’d been together a few times before I pulled that.”

Sansa’s eyebrows shot up. Jeyne _was_ a bit of a black hole. And clingy. Seven hells, she’d shown those colours when Sansa had started striking up a conversation with Robb’s girlfriend, Margaery, so all of this definitely tracked.

“And yeah, when you and I got together, I was stressed to the max, and I welcomed the distraction, but Sansa… you were never just a distraction. Fuck, you were _the_ distraction. At the risk of sounding like a creep, I distract myself with you a lot of the time…” His cheeks flushed red at the admission and Sansa blinked, unsure if she was hearing him.

“Theon… what are you--”

“I’m saying that whatever you want to do, I’ll do it, okay? If you want a relationship, want me to put on a tie and come play the doting boyfriend in front of your parents, then I will. It wouldn’t be any trouble, because I would love to dote on you. If you just want this. Just this, that we’ve been doing, you have me with the promise that you are the _only_ one in my bed. If you want to just forget all of it and be friends, I can do that as well. Whatever you want. Just ask.”

She had so many things on the tip of her tongue. So many things she wanted to say.

“I’ve liked you since I was fifteen, Theon.”

His eyes shot open. “What?”

“Fifteen,” she said, blushing an even darker shade of red. “Probably before that, but I know that fifteen was when I first… developed an attraction that wasn’t just aesthetic. And it was for you. I was just a kid then, I didn’t know what I wanted. But I know that it’s never gone away. Not when I was with Joffrey, or Harry, or any of the rest of them. And I’m an adult now, and it’s certainly not gone away.”

“So what do you want now?” he asked.

“It’s not just me. What do you want?”

“I’ve already said that haven’t I?” he chuckled a little, and the air seemed to crackle between them. “I want _you,_ if you’ll have me.”

“Any way I’ll have you?” she asked.

“Just ask, Sans.”

“I want you. All of you. I want a relationship where we spend the night at each others’ houses and I want sickening domestics that make all our friends ill. I want you to learn how to cook for me and I want you to come here right now, because I’m going to explode if you don’t kiss me.”

“That’d be quite a mess, wouldn’t it?” he teased, stepping forward and wrapping an arm around her waist. She barely had time to brace herself before he was kissing her. Gods, was he kissing her. “I’m so glad you want this,” he murmured, kissing her again. “Because we are two of the biggest idiots in Westeros and it’d be a shame not to give this a go.”

She giggled and cupped his jaw, bringing him back down. “I sort of like asking you for things now that I know I’ll get them.”

“Why don’t you do it again?”

“Will you please take me to bed?” she asked, the words coming out a little more breathless than she was expecting.

“Fuck, yes, I thought you’d never ask.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope y'all are having a great one! 
> 
> Leave me a comment if you liked it! <3


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